Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken out sharply against Turkey’s ongoing military operation in Syria, and said Israel stands ready to give humanitarian aid to the “gallant Kurdish people.”
“Israel strongly condemns the Turkish invasion of the Kurdish areas in Syria and warns against the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds by Turkey and its proxies,” Netanyahu said, speaking on the issue for the first time since US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw US forces from Syria.
The Israeli premier, who is one of the few world leaders to openly call for the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, did not specify how Israel would provide humanitarian aid. Israel has no diplomatic relations with Iraq or Syria, while relations with Turkey have been strained for several years.
In breaking his silence, Netanyahu made no specific mention of Trump, a close ally of the Israeli PM.